Two Charts That Should Make Anti-Vaccine People Ashamed

McCarthy is a prominent anti-vaxxer — a growing segment of individuals who believe that autism is caused by vaccinations. McCarthy's son was diagnosed with autism in 2005.

This is a risky stance. Vaccines are incredibly effective at controlling and eliminating infectious diseases. Because the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases are still out there, stopping vaccinations would make people extremely susceptible to infections that can kill or severely disable them.

Because of the anti-vaccine movement, including McCarthy's outspoken anti-vax stance, there has been an increase in vaccine exemptions over the last several years.

This has led to an upsurge in the rate of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially whooping cough (known as pertussis to doctors). A study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2013 found that in New York State "counties with high exemptions had overall higher rates of reported pertussis."